This invention relates to a catalytic converter unit and to a catalytic converter apparatus.
It is well-known that energy production plants produce gases, the composition of which needs to be changed before they are released to the atmosphere. The exhaust gases from a combustion process are specifically such gases. For treating certain components in the exhaust gases, such as nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons, the exhaust gas flow is arranged to pass through a catalytic converter. Especially when large exhaust gas volumes are concerned, the physical size of the structures involved easily exceeds the desired size.
It is also essential for the operation of the catalytic converter that the flow rate of the exhaust gases therein is not too high, i.e. the retention or residence time of the gas in the catalytic converter should be long enough for the desired reactions to take place. In order to accomplish this, it is conventional to employ a parallel connection of several catalytic converter elements. Alternatively a single catalytic converter element with a large diameter may be used. In the event that either conventional approach is utilized to provide a sufficiently large cross-sectional area of catalytic converter element(s), the size of the plant is further increased.
An aim of the present invention is to provide a catalytic converter arrangement, by which considerable space saving is achieved particularly in conjunction with a combustion engine by utilizing the length of the exhaust gas apparatus. An aim of the invention is also to provide such a catalytic converter unit that makes a space-saving catalytic converter apparatus of modular design feasible.